tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/ticket-prices-21669/articlesTicket prices – The Conversation2017-11-27T19:10:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/876742017-11-27T19:10:04Z2017-11-27T19:10:04ZThe new ticketing technology that may make scalping a thing of the past<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196025/original/file-20171123-6055-krfn42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=496&amp;fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Blair Hughes </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-laws-crack-down-on-ticket-scalping-and-price-gouging-at-major-events-20171115-gzmd1p.html">new anti-scalping laws</a> are introduced in Victoria, our <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/why_the_empty_seats_study_to_investigate_fan_experiences_in_stadiums">research</a> suggests that frustrations with current ticketing systems may be a contributing factor to the continued success of scalpers. But new technologies are on the horizon that will help.</p>
<p>Scalping is the practice of buying event tickets and then on-selling them at a higher price. Our <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/why_the_empty_seats_study_to_investigate_fan_experiences_in_stadiums">research</a> found that one in five fans surveyed had at some time purchased tickets from scalpers globally, with males more likely to engage in this behaviour. </p>
<p>We surveyed fans from Australia, New Zealand, North America, and the UK, 19% of whom admitted to purchasing tickets from scalpers. In addition, almost 30% had used third-party reseller websites, such as <a href="https://www.viagogo.com/au">Viagogo</a>. </p>
<p>These figures can be partly explained by frustrations among fans with the current ticketing systems – as well as the increased sophistication of scalpers.</p>
<h2>Online ticket sales impact on scalping</h2>
<p>In past decades, ticket scalpers were a common presence around venues, selling tickets on the day of the event to anyone who turned up without one. Yet the development of online technologies has transformed the secondary ticketing market into a multi-billion-dollar industry.</p>
<p>Increasingly, sophisticated computer programs (robots or “bots”) can make multiple, repeated requests from ticketing company websites in seconds – at the expense of the average fan.</p>
<p>Third-party ticket resellers may then <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-30/viagogo-consumer-advocates-call-on-google-to-crack-down-reseller/8853308">charge</a> as much as a A$37.50 booking fee and a A$4.95 handling fee on top of an inflated or <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/tickets/articles/ticket-resale-websites-permitting-illegal-scalping">inaccurate ticket price</a>. </p>
<h2>Protecting the fans</h2>
<p>In Victoria, amendments to the Major Events Act will see fines of up to A$475,000 for anyone <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/vic-ticket-scalping/9159032">selling tickets</a> “at a price greater than 10% above the original sale price of the ticket”. </p>
<p>In Queensland, it is <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/law/your-rights/consumer-rights-complaints-and-scams/buying-products-and-services/buying-services/ticketed-events">illegal</a> to resell or buy tickets at more than 10% above the original ticket price, while in New South Wales it will <a href="http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/About_us/News_and_events/Whats_new/New+laws+to+target+ticket+scalping.page?">soon</a> be an offence to resell tickets at more than 10% of the original sale price.</p>
<p>Significantly, the <a href="http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/About_us/News_and_events/Whats_new/New+laws+to+target+ticket+scalping.page?">updated NSW legislation</a> will also outlaw the software that has enabled bots. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen how effective these new measures will be. </p>
<p>Established anti-scalping laws in the US have had <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227425421_Examining_the_effectiveness_of_anti-scalping_laws_in_a_United_States_market">little impact on the secondary ticket market</a>. Scalpers adapt their methods and find ways to feign compliance with legislation. More importantly, some fans will go to any lengths to watch their team play. </p>
<h2>How satisfied are fans?</h2>
<p>From our survey results below, fans appear to be satisfied with the ticket purchasing experience, although males are more likely to be satisfied than females. </p>
<p>Many cited the ease of purchasing tickets online and the ability to select a specific seat as important factors. Being able to buy tickets at the first attempt is generally linked to greater satisfaction with the purchase experience. </p>
<p>There were some significant differences in satisfaction depending on how tickets were purchased. Although fans suggest that they enjoyed being able to purchase tickets online, they were more satisfied when they bought tickets from a box office or at the venue.</p>
<p><iframe id="MYlJc" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MYlJc/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>For anyone who has recently purchased a ticket to a major event, the areas of dissatisfaction may be unsurprising. Respondents cited factors including booking fees being added to the cost of the ticket (also known as <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/online-shopping/drip-pricing">drip pricing</a>), having to pay printing costs, inflexibility of seating options, and poorly functioning websites among their key complaints.</p>
<p>As noted above, complaints about ticketing websites were common. Fans cited “congested websites”, “servers [that] can’t handle the volume”, and “getting beaten for tickets by bots” as reasons why they could not buy tickets. If legislation alone can’t stop scalpers, new approaches to ticketing may be required. </p>
<h2>Beating the bots</h2>
<p>Internationally, there have been some interesting developments amongst teams, venues and ticketing companies that may eliminate scalping and improve the ticketing experience. </p>
<p>It may not be long before all fans can take advantage of innovations such as mobile-only tickets, biometric access, and even microchipped tickets.</p>
<p>The Miami Heat became the first NBA team to <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20306283/miami-heat-become-first-nba-team-mobile-only-entry">ditch paper tickets</a>, switching to “mobile-only” ticketing. It cited the convenience and simplicity of managing tickets as well as providing fans with guaranteed ticket authenticity as reasons for this change. </p>
<p>Also in the US, there are now seven Major League Baseball stadiums that offer a biometric fingerprint scanning program which enables “frictionless access” to the venue, creating a faster and more exclusive fan experience.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N2EaE4ylM4Q?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Accessing stadiums with fingerprint scanner technolog.y.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Biochip implant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daily Mail Australia</span></span>
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<p>Argentine football club Tigre went further in 2016 and launched a new ticketing scheme that allowed fans to be <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-27/argentine-club-tigre-launches-microchip-for-fans/7361506">microchipped with their season pass</a>. These implantable ticketing microchips proved to be popular among diehard fans.</p>
<p>Some ticketing companies are also investing in technology aimed at combating scalping. Ticketmaster US has created a “<a href="http://help.ticketmaster.com/verified-fan/">Verified Fan</a>” program that allows fans to be verified before the tickets come on sale to speed up the process.</p>
<h2>Start-ups moving in</h2>
<p>Several start-ups are looking to challenge existing ticketing process and stop touting. Companies to look for include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/">Citizen Ticket</a>: billing itself as an “ethical service”, this company ensures that all transactions are recorded publicly and permanently. Its ticket delivery system, called <a href="https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/bitticket/">BitTicket</a>, allows the lifecycle of a ticket to be tracked, eradicating touts, fraud, and unregulated resale.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.shieldsquare.com/">ShieldSquare</a>: dubbed the “bot police”, this company is one of the pioneers in bot mitigation, blocking ticket bots and encourage genuine ticket buyers.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://tech.ticketmaster.com/2017/07/12/ticketmaster-presence-when-tickets-go-digital-event-going-gets-better/">Ticketmaster Presence</a>: paper tickets are replaced with digital passes using proximity-based technology to enable a “tap and go” venue entry system. Smart devices, such as a phone or a watch, are used to enter the venue. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ticketmaster Presence ‘Tap and Go’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">https://tech.ticketmaster.com/2017/07/12/ticketmaster-presence-when-tickets-go-digital-event-going-gets-better/</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The future of ticketing is paperless</h2>
<p>Looking to the future, it may not be long until tickets are physically linked to individuals and our iconic sporting venues are accessed with the swipe of an appendage. </p>
<p>In such a world, paper tickets will become a thing of the past. </p>
<p>One cannot feel that something is lost without the physical memento of a sporting event provided by a ticket stub. The scalpers and bots have much to answer for.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87674/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aila Khan received funding from Magnetite, an organisation specialising in retro-fit double glazed windows. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Blair Hughes and Keith Parry do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A raft of tough new anti-scalping laws have just been introduce in Victoria, But are problems with existing ticketing systems driving fans into the hands of scalpers – and can technology help?Keith Parry, Senior Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversityAila Khan, Lecturer in Marketing, Western Sydney UniversityBlair Hughes, PhD Candidate, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/555132016-03-04T14:41:48Z2016-03-04T14:41:48ZWhat is so wrong with flexible pricing in football?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113364/original/image-20160301-8060-16qlp01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=496&amp;fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Getting bums on seats.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/werkman/22499590043/in/photolist-Ahdhfg-eaets3-3ZW7ro-82BAub-dqTyCK-nXF9RA-KVKi-5MkmcL-GneE9-KqG8b-6wQGpA-dZncX4-L3eeF-6JcmeA-ditLRf-6J8uvm-8PTxW-5s6fhP-92RXHx-92RXTX-5cMPaZ-6H8GSw-8LD7c-L6nT-6fWrt6-jmGHgP-5cS5uN-6fcE9Q-6fcEum-jmM7dJ-6oiVsm-5gMAvQ-5ebmo7-5ebmzy-6oiUgf-642YRE-FqGaN-6oiW5j-63XJUz-6qNqVf-6fcFqy-6fcF8f-jmGJQa-nFiwK8-dYJCLV-dqSqiA-8Xtig-kL4BuF-4dJZm8-nk6kBB">Peter Werkman/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Flexible pricing models are all the rage. Uber, the rider-driver taxi application, openly utilises <a href="mailto:https://newsroom.uber.com/canada/en/rainyday/">surge pricing</a>, which can instantly double prices when a few raindrops start falling. A number of leading arts companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company and most recently Disney theme parks have implemented demand-led pricing initiatives, too. So why are football fans so exorcised when their clubs try to break away from old-fashioned approaches to pricing?</p>
<p>Football ticket pricing already often varies according to the seat’s view, match timing, live television coverage and opposition attractiveness, but it could also factor in the teams recent performance, real time demand changes, player injuries and selection or even the latest weather forecast. More closely matching supply and demand via a transparent and dynamic approach could also help reduce illegal reselling. </p>
<p>For leading English football clubs, ticket revenues – generating a fifth of average income – have been dwarfed in recent years by <a href="http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-football-money-league-2015.PDF">growing income</a> from media, merchandising and sponsorship. Perhaps acting out of self interest, but also with a clear understanding of the vital role played by fans in creating the stadium atmosphere, supporter groups have flexed their muscle to campaign against ticket pricing changes. </p>
<p>Manchester United travelling away fans were unhappy to be <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/manchester-united-ticket-protest-louis-van-gaal-supports-fans-midtjylland-prices-welcome-to-a6881181.html">charged £71 each</a> to watch the team be beaten in far away Denmark. Fans of north-west rivals Liverpool bemoaned attempts by their club management to recoup some of the millions spent on stadium expansion through a <a href="https://theconversation.com/premier-league-clubs-should-learn-from-liverpool-fans-anfield-walkout-54683">£77 top price ticket</a>. A walkout by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/06/liverpool-fans-walkout-thousands-ticket-price-protest">around 10,000 empowered</a> fans forced a significant management climb down and secured a two year season ticket price freeze. But fan pressure that forces low balling of the real value of match tickets can foster the conditions for dubious secondary re-selling. A more dynamic approach might be better.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113410/original/image-20160301-31020-1xper8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113410/original/image-20160301-31020-1xper8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Warning! We may be giving succour to touts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pittaya/5808948007/in/photolist-buqvv6-5oJFai-6zk2st-9sKFuX-67iAG8-bXm6N9-pCA3-h9zRG9-m8XykT-7RnYRN-DsC8e-9RjnRZ-5e3E5K-HyYgh-2rdDVK-yHTWju-4BEYoF-gfDmg-gfDmf-2xNjsZ">Pittaya Sroilong</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Demanding audience</h2>
<p>Sports fans are of course already accustomed to non-price-related rationing strategies. Clubs discriminate by limiting sales to season ticket holders and club members according to previous attendance, or by recognising their recent sales value with loyalty points. Gold, silver and bronze <a href="http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20150630-201516-matchday-ticket-prices-2515326.aspx">fixture categories</a> are frequently used by clubs to gently vary availability and recognise more and less attractive opposition, lesser cup competitions and unappealing game times. All key demand factors.</p>
<p>Many increasingly commercially oriented sporting entities already <a href="http://www.sloansportsconference.com/%3Fp=2733">have a careful eye on yield enhancement</a>, with an array of hospitality packages targeted at the less price sensitive company entertainment budget holders. For example London-based Arsenal, whose league-leading <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/deloitte-football-money-league-arsenal-made-100m-on-matchdays-more-than-real-madrid-and-barcelona-a6824791.html">match day take represents 30%</a> of their income, ask £450 per head for one of their match and a meal services. </p>
<p>It is the kind of <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/english-ticket-prices-in-germany-would-lead-to-a-sstorm-claims-bundesliga-ceo-christian-seifert-9667352.html">profit focused approach</a> that can leave a bitter taste for fans. In the streets around Manchester City’s Etihad stadium you will see local businesses signal their own ethical reluctance to cash in on demand peaks with signs proclaiming “No match day pricing”. Football fans supposedly are more than just customers <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/10/premier-league-ticket-prices-fans-verdict">and research</a> amongst club supporter groups identified that the maximum price for a premier league ticket should be just £30, with some suggesting as little as £20. Asking a powerful lobby group what they want to pay of course is very different from establishing what they are actually prepared to pay, after all turkeys rarely vote for Christmas.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113419/original/image-20160301-31065-g28s8m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113419/original/image-20160301-31065-g28s8m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chipping in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sstrieu/12026352503/in/photolist-jjJcBe-ots1ED-fpPyee-6rCEGa-owBLLG-b88XK-auoHSD-dtZn8N-i1nD4-fgLvNQ-D1CkL5-qkds2N-DibcEC-DsJSdV-DiaTR1-D1CogL-DqrtAN-DqqExE-Dqrc7W-CvmAaz-Dktau8-8P9FuE-858kv9-4RVhav-CUfftR-D1CAV3-D1CTgu-Cvn8gn-CvmCW6-D1D28b-5BvNuT-aj9fia-DqrkdW-7hWqJb-skxXEW-8yUbSv-qCtNY-d26K5y-9JWvx3-4DNEFT-s144b6-a5Gkf7-oqRrV-97YYD5-6Kbc9N-76G6Eo-daPWcg-68x9rD-6LDPax-daeEWU">sstrieu</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>easyPricing</h2>
<p>While the idea is nearly <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ticket-prices-fans-planning-mass-walkout-at-all-20-premier-league-clubs-over-cost-a6862436.html">heretical in some football communities</a>, dynamic pricing has been largely embraced by consumers in the travel industry. This strategy allows for attractive lead-in pricing which starts low and ratchets up with demand. Demand responsive pricing was popularised by new-entrant, low-cost airlines like easyJet following European Union liberalisation in the late 1990s. With the promise “book early for low fares”, hotels, car hire companies and airlines now routinely structure their lead-in offers to entice consumers, relying on <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-price-is-really-right-dynamic-ticketing-could-transform-the-way-we-pay-to-see-live-events-8215701.html">demand driven, step pricing</a> to take a premium from those willing to pay higher fares closer to departure. </p>
<p>These so-called airline pricing models are also being used in the arts. The venerable <a href="http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Arts/article1670330.ece">Royal Shakespeare Company</a>, under pressure to reduce their reliance on societal subsidies, found that a variable pricing model enabled them to balance the need to offer accessible pricing whilst generating sufficient revenues. Canadian circus creatives <a href="https://www.cirquedusoleil.com">Cirque du Soleil</a> trialled <a href="http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Arts/article1670330.ece">dynamic pricing</a> for this winter’s London tour dates. With a modest 30% seat price differential they were able to sell more tickets and increase ticket revenues by 12%. Even Disney is getting in on peak pricing, with a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/business/disney-introduces-demand-based-pricing-at-theme-parks.html">20% higher tariff now charged</a> at its US theme parks during the busiest days. No mean squeak. Ahem. </p>
<p>Event organisers tread precariously as they seek to balance the value for money versus availability appeal of their offers, relying as they do on spectator word-of-mouth to build interest that drives sales. They also need to cultivate a positive, engaged audience, a fundamental element of live performances. It is the contagious fervour and noisy appreciation that paying customers generate that is fundamentally important in <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0QXrBgAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA278&amp;lpg=PA278&amp;dq=live+audience+co-creation+football&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=ofbBGtcb7b&amp;sig=rvDm4-gd7MQ-Qh9odmtP4BzAPxg&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjN6aiH2onLAhXMOxoKHeIDDc4Q6AEIJDAB#v=onepage&amp;q=live%20a">co-creating the event atmosphere</a>. Should event managers then leave audience make up merely to random chance when big data analysis can calculate an individual’s lifetime attractiveness, their value to corporate sponsors or likely social media impact? Not so far fetched, but perhaps a little too Big Brother. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113420/original/image-20160301-31056-1ntkzyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113420/original/image-20160301-31056-1ntkzyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sunderland fans celebrate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/6270740698/in/photolist-hceWQh-edi6XM-6SqRbj-cqrjdh-84a3pY-r8r92L-9aRuNf-cqrius-Dbchce-cqrjLq-cqrh7J-cqrgSo-cqrjwq-ek7Bov-rzNjdp-ris6qV-ay8bJW-ay5uMx-enFUaR-cqrhv1-cqrgCh-cqrgkY-eogBuN-9CeM9V-ek7Btk">Ronnie Macdonald</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reducing waste</h2>
<p>Peak pricing has its critics of course, as families with school-aged children will testify when paying thousands more for a holiday during half-term, but I personally dislike more the panic buying engendered by stampede or <a href="https://econsultancy.com/blog/64333-what-is-scarcity-marketing-and-should-you-use-it/">scarcity marketing</a> strategies and would welcome a more open and transparent approach. Flexible pricing models in football would also put a lid on the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/dec/19/ticket-resale-sites-new-scrutiny-touting-seatwave-viagogo">amoral greed</a> of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0b3444c4-a5a3-11e5-a91e-162b86790c58.html%23axzz40q0yRHZE">opportunistic re-sellers</a> and criminals who seek to profit from an all-too-frequent mis-match between supply and demand. </p>
<p>There is a critique that airline style pricing might unfairly advantage the wealthy. But there can be good news too for those of more modest means to benefit from low price off-peak offers filling otherwise empty seats. Using cross subsidisation to lower pricing that widens inclusion and diversifies participation rates should be seen positively for delivering social value, not as a negative. It should have consequent benefits for the football clubs.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thinkaboutpricing.com/left-navigation/pricing-strategy.html">Examples from the arts</a> and hospitality industries show that dynamic pricing can offer a more meritocratic and efficient revenue management strategy, leading to more diverse and inclusive pricing policies. It can reduce wasted seats and allow those willing and able to pay more to do so ethically and legally. </p>
<p>Football industry pricing needs to innovate more, not to drive up already large revenues but to bring more transparency to the murky world of ticket sales and help resource widening participation initiatives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55513/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin O&#39;Brien will draw part of his pension from former airline employer British Airways. </span></em></p>Fans are notoriously reluctant to let their clubs play fast and loose with clever ticket pricing, but it might be better for everyone.Justin O'Brien, MBA Programme Director, Royal HollowayLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/492592015-10-16T12:34:12Z2015-10-16T12:34:12ZLooking behind the data in a misleading cost-of-football survey<p>The BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34531731">released its Cost of Football Study</a> on Thursday and the headlines look positive for fans. But there are holes in the research which leave us wondering if there really is an improving picture in a country where even the cheapest season ticket in the fifth tier of football – at Eastleigh – is more expensive than comparable tickets for European heavyweights Bayern Munich. </p>
<p>The BBC’s upbeat conclusion has its problems, and for (at least) the second year running the study is methodologically weak. </p>
<p>One immediate flaw apparent in the data is that the assessment of the cheapest adult price includes promotional prices and only covers tickets for home games. The study mentions that Derby County offers the cheapest at £10. A <a href="http://tickets.wearederby.com/default.aspx?qit&amp;q=31fb0094-7d53-40db-97f7-e7e4c2f1f9d6&amp;p=0e89e409-969c-44dd-a9f8-af94269106fb&amp;ts=1444921558&amp;c=dcfc&amp;e=dcfcq&amp;rt=Safetynet&amp;h=f78b6ec0b81d7ae445177e68f523f184">quick glance on their website</a> to check this reveals that the cheapest ticket price for the next ten home games (up to January 2016) is advertised as £19 (games against Bristol City and Reading). </p>
<p>That’s a useful starting point to push us to view the article with a healthy scepticism, and look more carefully at the actual cost of attending the 72 football league clubs’ next home games.</p>
<h2>Mixed up</h2>
<p>One of the headline figures is that in the Championship, Derby, Huddersfield and Reading have the cheapest match day price in the top five leagues in England. The problem here is that the BBC is not comparing like for like. Instead, the calculations are based on a mixture of student and discounted, one-off promotional tickets alongside standard adult tickets. </p>
<p>The page in the BBC report specifically devoted to Derby emphasises this point and is where that claim over a £10 ticket appears, alongside a stated cheapest season ticket at £319. Based on a season comprising 23 home games this appears immediately wrong – why would anyone buy a season ticket for £319 when they can save £89 by buying tickets separately at a tenner a pop? </p>
<p>By conflating ticket prices the BBC study makes it hard to draw conclusions and thus the assertions about the cost of attending a football match are weakened. Based upon a quick sample of tickets for football teams’ next home games (scheduled for the period 17 October – 24 October) I have recalculated the cost of match ticket prices. </p>
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<p>This methodological flaw underestimates the cost of going to a Championship game by 15% overall, or by an average of £3. I used a slightly different methodology and have used an internet search to buy a match ticket for the next home fixture of all 72 league clubs. We have to exclude the Premier League here; tickets are often sold out or only available to registered supporters.</p>
<p>Of the championship clubs, eight of them (including the three mentioned as being the cheapest by the BBC study) had ticket prices higher than those quoted by the BBC’s football study. Huddersfield’s cheapest tickets rose from £10 to £27.50. </p>
<h2>Down the divisions</h2>
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<p>In League 1 and League 2, the overall average price matches up more closely with the BBC study findings. But still there will be some surprises for ticket buyers. Five clubs in League 1 were more expensive than stated as was Exeter in League 2. Some clubs do come up as cheaper but we have to consider the exclusion of booking fees or increases in prices for those paying on the day. There are also one-off events to factor in here – Doncaster is a prime example which has gone for an ad hoc reduction in ticket prices for the next home game against Bradford. </p>
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<p>In any case, the headline figures on the price of football are misleading even in my recalculations above. And it is worth reminding ourselves of the true costs involved in supporting your club. Other costs include those admin fees for booking tickets online, money spent travelling to home and away games, and the additional costs from food and drink at the ground as well as any merchandise or programmes. Factor in the inflated costs of away tickets and it starts to stack up: Leeds, who are quoted as offering home ticket prices of £26 are charging visiting fans in a few weeks’ time £41 to attend a game. Such scenarios and ticketing discrimination are common. Clubs have varying policies on student and concessionary tickets in particular as well as restricting one-off price reductions to home fans too.</p>
<p>And let’s not forget how it appears in absolute terms. We might be quibbling over a 15% difference here, but in absolute terms the costs are still high. Football match ticket prices in the UK are often described as expensive relative to those offered in the top European leagues. Cheap season tickets in Germany and Spain in particular have been contrasted to the high prices paid by those who watch Premier and league football on a weekly basis. Season tickets at both the Spanish and German champions are <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/cheapest-barcelona-bayern-munich-season-6635285">cheaper than any league team in England or Scotland</a>. </p>
<p>The BBC’s study therefore should be treated with caution – without the explanatory notes it appears that football is becoming more accessible, however normative views from terraces suggest this is not the case. Better studies would explore the discrimination of certain groups of fans and wider concerns over exclusionary ticketing, both in terms of who is able to afford to attend games and in terms of discrimination between home and away supporters.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49259/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Kirkland is a season ticket holder at Rotherham United football club. </span></em></p>A new study on how much fans are paying takes an upbeat view, but what's missing?Christopher Kirkland, Teaching Associate, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.